Canada
Food festivals in Canada: Montréal en Lumière in February, the winter festival where guest chefs cook in the city’s restaurants, and what to eat in Quebec.
At a glance
- Montréal en Lumière, 18 to 28 February 2027, a winter festival with a gourmet programme
- More than 800,000 festival site visits a year, says Tourisme Montréal
- Quebec, the French-speaking province, for maple syrup, poutine and bagels
- A country of ten provinces and three territories, from the Atlantic to the Pacific
- 1food festival
Food festivals in Canada
Matias Garabedian from Montreal, Canada, CC BY-SA
Regions in Canada
Wilfredor, CC0Map of Canada
What to taste in Canada
Maple syrup
Boiled down from the sap of maple trees in early spring. Quebec is its heartland.
Poutine
Fries, cheese curds and gravy, the dish Quebec gave to the whole country.
Montréal bagels
Hand-rolled, boiled in honeyed water and baked in a wood-fired oven.
Smoked meat
Cured and smoked beef brisket, served thick-sliced on rye in Montréal delis.
Icewine
A sweet wine pressed from grapes frozen on the vine, made in Ontario and British Columbia.
Canada’s winter festival is Montréal en Lumière, which Bonjour Québec describes as one of the largest winter celebrations in the world, with gastronomy among its strands. The country stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and its food changes with each region.
What each region is known for
| Region | What to taste |
|---|---|
| Quebec | Maple syrup, poutine, Montréal bagels and smoked meat |
| Atlantic provinces | Lobster, oysters and other shellfish |
| Ontario | Icewine from the Niagara Peninsula |
| British Columbia | Pacific salmon and Okanagan Valley wines |
Maple syrup is made in early spring, when the sap runs. In Quebec, a visit to a sugar shack (cabane à sucre) is the season’s outing.
- Maple in figures: Quebec supplies 73% of the world’s maple syrup on average, says the Quebec government. In 2024 its 7,838 quota-holding farms worked 54 million taps.
Quebec, the French-speaking province
Quebec is the only province where French is the sole official language, and its cooking keeps ties with France while drawing on its own produce.
- Montréal: the province’s largest city, and the one with the festival.
- Quebec City: the provincial capital, on the St. Lawrence.
Montréal in February
The festival takes place in the heart of winter, from 18 to 28 February in 2027, when guest chefs and gourmet events come to town.
- Outdoor site: free, in the Quartier des spectacles, with a skating loop and illuminated artworks.
- Restaurants: visiting chefs cook special menus with Montréal’s tables.
A Canada food calendar by season
| Season | Where | What |
|---|---|---|
| February | Montréal | Montréal en Lumière, guest chefs and a free outdoor site |
| February | Montréal | La Poutine Week, restaurants competing for the best poutine in town (1 to 7 February in 2026) |
| Early spring | Quebec | Sugar shacks and the new maple syrup |
| All year | Montréal | Bagels and smoked meat |
| Autumn | Ontario, British Columbia | Grape harvest in the wine regions |
Icewine grapes are left on the vine until they freeze, then picked and pressed in the depth of winter.
Before you go
- Winter: Montréal en Lumière is a February festival, with an outdoor site in the cold. Dress for snow.
- Language: Quebec is French-speaking. Montréal is widely bilingual.
- Alcohol: the minimum legal age to buy alcohol is 18 in Quebec, Alberta and Manitoba, and 19 in the other provinces and territories.
- Getting there: Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) serves the festival city.
Frequently asked questions
When is Montréal en Lumière 2027?
From 18 to 28 February 2027, in the Quartier des spectacles of downtown Montréal.
What food is Canada known for?
Maple syrup above all, then poutine, Montréal bagels and smoked meat in Quebec, and icewine in Ontario and British Columbia.
What is the legal drinking age in Canada?
It depends on the province: 18 in Quebec, Alberta and Manitoba, 19 everywhere else.